Tough to Deliver in the Fight Between Two Factions: Former Hockey India CEO Elena Norman – News18

Outgoing Hockey India CEO Elena Norman on Tuesday stated the work setting in HI was “difficult” and he or she had no alternative however to name it quits.

After holding the place for 13 years, Norman resigned and although HI didn’t reveal the precise causes for her choice in its official assertion, the Australian spoke out on what pushed her to exit.

“Absolutely, it was getting tough to deliver in the fight between two factions,” Norman advised PTI in an interview.

“There are two factions in Hockey India. There is (President) Dilip Tirkey and I and there is (Secretary) Bholanath Singh, (Executive Director) Cdr. R K Srivastava and (Treasurer) Sekar J Manoharan,” she stated.

Also Read: Alonso to Possibly Seek Out Real Madrid Head Role in Near Future

“There are guys who want power and then there is (HI President) Dilip (Tirkey) who is a nice guy, only after betterment of Indian hockey,” the 49-year-old defined.

What aggravated your complete state of affairs was the non-payment of her remuneration for 3 months.

“There were some issues (regarding my salary) and after much persuasion that got cleared last week,” Norman stated.

Her resignation is the second blow to HI in the previous couple of days after the Indian girls’s hockey workforce coach Janneke Schopman resigned, additionally complaining of a troublesome work setting.

Schopman stated she was not being valued and appreciated by the governing physique.

Norman additionally made comparable assertions and talked concerning the infighting inside HI with out dwelling on the problems that have been inflicting the conflict of concepts. She, nonetheless, praised Tirkey for his unwavering help.

Sources in HI stated Tirkey has struggled to dedicate time to HI resulting from his political commitments with the Biju Janata Dal social gathering in Odisha. He is anticipated to battle Lok Sabha elections later this yr.

Norman, who moved to India in 2007 to work for a sports activities advertising and marketing agency earlier than being appointed the federation’s first CEO in 2011, stated she has put her factors throughout to the HI board and is now wanting ahead to a break.

“I have addressed my point to the board members. Dilip knows everything but I don’t want to go into specifics. I feel it’s my time to leave and I am excited about new opportunities. It’s just time for myself now,” she stated.

“I am going to take a holiday, I am going to go fishing, I am going to go for some trek, I am going to spend time with my family. I have been here for a long time so I just want to unwind now.

“I will take at least three months off and then look for exciting opportunities. I don’t know what will happen in future to be honest but it’s all going to be great,” she added enthusiastically.

Norman served a serious a part of her stint with HI when former International Hockey Federation (FIH) chief Narinder Batra was the president of the nationwide physique.

During her tenure, HI hosted two consecutive editions of FIH Men’s World Cup in 2018 and 2023, two Junior Men’s World Cup in 2016 and 2021 and likewise hosted 5 editions of the now-discontinued Hockey India League (HIL).

She was on the forefront of the organisational set-up for these occasions.

Norman was additionally instrumental within the appointment of Dutchman Sjoerd Marijne as the pinnacle coach of the ladies’s workforce, which completed a historic fourth within the Tokyo Olympics. Schopman too was additionally seen as her alternative.

She can be credited for Australian Graham Reid’s appointment as the boys’s coach in 2019. Under Reid’s tutelage, the workforce received a bronze medal within the Tokyo Olympics, ending a 41-year drought.

Besides, HI additionally hosted a number of worldwide hockey occasions together with the Champions Trophy, World League Finals in 2015 and 2017, Olympic Qualifiers in 2019 and 2024 in addition to the Hockey Pro League house video games throughout her tenure.

(This story has not been edited by News18 workers and is revealed from a syndicated news company feed – PTI)